"An Open Letter To Oasis Church"

Dear Oasis Church,

I have the privilege and honor to live in your community of believers for over 25 years.  While I am just a humble member, I have observed your growing pains over your lifespan, and would like to share my observations with all who care to listen.

I would like to point out what you have been for me in my lifetime; truly, you have exhibited the fruit of the Spirit to me and, I think, to many others, whom our Great Shepherd has sent your way.  

I wholeheartedly believe that my life would be shipwrecked, literally and figuratively, if God did not plant you and cultivate you as a church to protect me and to build up my faith. Bless His Name.

Please accept my observations of the Holy Spirit borne in your existence:

Love - I have seen your leadership and your saints consistently accept all peoples without regard to race, income, social status, etc.  I have always been accepted despite my failings, sins and unfaithfulness.  You have always been a strength to me in all my weaknesses. You have never turned me away.  This is the love of God.

Joy - True joy knows that you are accepted and loved.  Because you have loved God's people (like me) without conditions, godly joy is found within your walls.

Peace - Your leadership has paid a great cost to preserve godly peace in your house by removing conflict, false teaching, false ambitions, turmoil and sin.  They have battled many conflicts to protect your flock.  They carry the scars, but we received the benefits of a peaceful house of God.

Patience - True patience is slow to anger, deliberate in the steps of righteousness, reluctant to speak or to judge hastily, as well as a refusal to be ruled by whims.  I have witnessed innumerable amounts of patience as your leaders avoid rash decisions, hasty judgments, or are overly assertive when it comes to caring for our spiritual growth and advancement.

Kindness - Your house has been a fortress of kindness continually and consistently to the needy, the confused, the sick, the young, the old, and all of us in-between.  I have personally been touched by this kindness through your people feeding me, sustaining me by their financial generosity, or by supporting me when I didn't deserve it.  Kindness has not only built me up as a Christian, 

but it has built you as a church that has enabled you to endure all your trials and tribulations.

Goodness - It has been said that goodness is simply defined as always living for others, never seeking its own advantage.  I have watched you, as a church, not try to impress the world, or the community, with your achievements or skills.  I have watched you impress God with your acts of goodness done in His name as you brought your resources to build other churches, missionaries, needy families in America and abroad, strangers, as well as your own.  Most of your acts of goodness are rarely talked about or mentioned, but if not for your devotion to Jesus Christ, many great events and great deeds would never have occurred.

Faithfulness - I have seen many people come and go from your house.  Sometimes it is good; sometimes it is painful.  I know of those saints that silently serve you and love you.  They never complain or ask for acknowledgment or reward.  Faithfulness is one of the remarkable characteristics of God Himself, and never have I seen it displayed more than in the people and leaders here in this house.  This type of commitment comes from God's power, not human power.

Gentleness - Our world views our God as viciously judgmental or blandly irrelevant.  If only those who think about our Lord in this way could enter your halls of gentleness.  They have not seen the gentleness of God in action until they are hurting and receive a gentle word or touch, and that is how you have shown to me the gentle nature of a gentle God.  When I have received mercy instead of criticism by your leaders and people, you have displayed the gentle heart of Jesus Christ.

Self-Control - I have watched many people try to harm you by trying to implement false teaching, denigrate and slander your shepherds (Pastors), deceive your people, and outright try to destroy your existence.  Never have I witnessed such godly discipline and restraint than by your leaders when they did not return evil for evil, nor bring destruction down upon these misguided or just plain wicked individuals.  I have come to understand through the example of your shepherds that self-control is indeed the key fruit to empower us to manage our Christian life.

This is my poor attempt to show you how much I value your existence in my life.  In all my ups and downs, in all my rebellion and sins, in all my comings and goings, Oasis has been an unceasing, faithful friend that has welcomed me and given me a place of peace in a chaotic world.

Yours sincerely,

A long time Oasis member